Happy Thursday, Spot readers. My name is Alex Burness. I cover state government for The Post, and I’m taking over this newsletter as of today. We’ll continue to bring you the latest links and insights into local, state and federal politics and policy. Got something you think we should know about? I’m at aburness@denverpost.com. Holler anytime.

Alex Burness

In this week’s newsletter: Saja Hindi tells you about an effort to ban an underestimated form of discrimination; Justin Wingerter checks in on Ken Buck and the Democratic Senate primary; and Jon Murray brings you the latest on the 2020 presidential race in Colorado.

And, let’s wish a happy quarter-birthday to Colorado’s 2020 legislative session: Thirty days down, 90 to go. Here’s the shortish overview of where we stand …

The legislature is well on its way to repealing the death penalty. The upcoming vaccine bill is something you can bet will generate a lot of vocal opposition, even though health experts say it’s a no-brainer. Speaking of policies that poll well but inspire outrage, at least two new gun bills are coming up soon.

We still don’t know how or if the legislature plans to find significant money for transportation. That’ll probably be settled one way or another next month. Lawmakers continue to weigh varying proposals to increase pay for teachers in our public school system that continues to be among the lowest funded in the nation.

There are another 400 or so bills I didn’t get to, and a couple hundred more are on the way. We’ll keep you posted.

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Top Line

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Colorado Sen. Faith Winter, center, shown speaking with Sen. Kerry Donovan in 2019, is getting close to introducing a reworked bill to provide paid family and medical leave to most employees in Colorado.

In case you missed it amid impeachment news, The Denver Post also reported this week on the latest developments on a paid family and medical leave bill. It’s the product of thousands of hours of delicate negotiation over years, and it’s not what many supporters — or even the bill’s own sponsors — were hoping for.

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Alex Burness covers politics for The Denver Post after previous work for The Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado Independent and Loveland Reporter-Herald. He is a Maryland native and a graduate of Northwestern University.

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In a year of bizarre moments, the strangest yet may have occurred late Monday afternoon, when the president of the United States raised his voice over the sound of distant flash bangs to announce the military would be deployed “to dominate the streets” — the streets of this country.